CHILDREN
Are awesome.
There were a bunch of hyperactive kids running, fighting, and screaming around in the camp where I was working. Of course they were hyperactive in this overcrowded place in the middle of nowhere. At some point the manager said we should punish them by separating them because they bring too much hassle and problems. But separation or punishment is not the solution. Children are children for one, the second part is that they have very malleable brains that are changed because of the traumatic experience they have gone through in their young lives. This piece of recent research gives some insight, it shows how much children are being changed due to traumatic experiences.
Trauma reshapes the brain when children experience trauma. This might not come as a big surprise considering their very young and adaptive brains but what is relatively new in science is that they also (genetically) inherit the traumatic features from their parents. It’s nature’s way of preparing the newborn for what is coming, for the world it will be entering. It’s actually an incredible piece of nature that within one generation adaptations in biological code are being made in order for the child to be prepared. So if a young couple from Spain migrates to Siberia where there is less food and always cold then their newborn will come with the proper preparations for this hostile environment. That’s basically what this part of human design is about.
Children can inherit the biological code, so much so that babies come to this world with higher possibility for certain traits that are concerned with the trauma of their parents. They might for example be more receptive to substance abuse or certain diseases. Their brains simply work differently than other children. Therefore, when we consider trauma, the next generation is deeply affected and on a massive scale around the globe. The next generation simply gets biological changes, gets a new source code. The changes are neurologically, genetically and on the level of hormones!
Newcomers and their children or future children will enter a society that is prone to activate many traits that come with trauma. If a newborn would enter a world that is peaceful, warm and loving then the inherited code from the traumatised parents might not come to its fruition. It might stay dormant because the world is a happy place and the biological preparation for something bad won’t be necessary. However good this may sound, it is not realistic.
We are living in a world where everyone is “succesful” or “great” in one way or another — at least online. We are living in a goal oriented society, one that is competitive and one that does not accept to be a failure or to be different. Maybe one can be different on the surface yes, but move a little bit deeper and you will find that society is not that tolerant or open minded as you would believe. My personal view is that current and future society will only become more egoistic with less to zero connection to reality. The fake smile will continue to flourish just for the sake of covering up insecurity and urge to belong. All actions, without exception, will be based on fear, even more than in society’s current state. Fear will be there for all kinds of insecurities that are fed by society. And this is without taking ongoing wars, geo-politics or AI development into account.
In short, the world is not exactly the ideal working ground for dealing with trauma or its inherited features. Highly vulnerable children’s will be exposed to a (online) world where comparison, success and superficiality are a rule and not an exception. Aside from misery, isolation and depression this only feeds that the “outfit” will be more receptive for groups or activities that move into the extreme.
Prove yourself
In a world of “being successful” a former refugee might get a strong urge to prove himself once settled in the new culture. He wants to show that in fact he is not a failure, that he does belong, that he is worthy and that he will work 10 times harder than the average man to prove that to the world and himself. The emotion based belief has entered his mind and starts calling the shots. This is compensation for his trauma.
He also wants to succeed to make sure that his family does not have to go through any more suffering. But, within that very context he also treats his family. He starts raising the kids within that very goal minded context. It wouldn’t be an exception if he becomes strict. He stops flowing, can become rigid, and that’s not the refugenius we are referring to even though he might get a master’s degree, find a good job, earn a lot of money and be fully accepted and respected by society.
The real refugenius has found inner balance and from there he will take care of things in the outer world in a more natural way. First the inner and then the outer. If he then still gets degrees and fame, a fancy job, and all that, that’s perfectly cool but it has to start from the inner balance and not as a reactive force to prove oneself — a reactive force based on trauma and a world in chaos.
Without the inner balance, the memory of the traumatic events, the whole process of seeking asylum, the pain, and scars are still there and despite all the success you now have it is there to stay and might manifest itself in anger eruptions, panic attacks or bad sleep. Then your happiness is fake, just like the smile on your pictures. Outer success has nothing to do with peace or happiness. Whatever future goals you reach, trauma has fundamentally reshaped your psychology and thus the psychology of the next generation. Hence if you don’t take action for your own future then at least consider it for your children.
The data on the subject called “genetic inheritance” are solid by the way. To give you an example; the children of holocaust survivors carry a much higher chance of depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. Obviously the psychological patterns of next generation refugees will have a tremendous impact on their lives and society as a whole. Mass trauma equals a future society with a huge number of (mental) health issues. Governments don’t address this issue since basically they are retarded and only think about economic growth, personal ambitions, sustaining power and getting re-elected. The neo liberal system doesn’t provide the help you need. You are on your own.
important
The book “Healing Trauma in Children” was created for parents of refugee children and support professions and individuals. It is based on the book by Peter Levin and Maggie Kline Trauma Proofing Your Kids. Their goal is to provide simple yet professional information about what trauma is and how parents can help their children, often without the additional help of specialists who may be in short supply. Go to their website aan get a free download of the book! It is available in many languages.
There are also books available for specialists, people who do activities at an asylum camp, and for anybody who works with refugees: Healing Trauma in Children – Handbooks for Supporting Professionals